Michael van Gerwen faces a tough opening match at the European Championship. The three-time world champion is seeded 19th and will face compatriot Kevin Doets in the first round. Doets has impressed over the past few months. On the Darts Draait Door podcast, Damian Vlottes and Vincent van der Voort discuss the intriguing matchup and the current form of both Dutch players.

Van Gerwen’s 19th place in the European Tour Order of Merit is a striking development. The Vlijmen native is by far the most successful player in European Tour history, but he now finds more and more compatriots ahead of him. Wessel Nijman, Jermaine Wattimena, Gian van Veen, Danny Noppert and Kevin Doets all finished higher in the rankings.

Van der Voort acknowledges that the change is striking, but believes Van Gerwen should focus on his own game.

“Finishing 19th in the European Championship rankings… You have to go back a long way for that, perhaps to the start of the European Tour. This is roughly where he belongs right now. He shouldn’t look too much at the others. He needs to focus on himself and get back to his best. Looking at the other players serves no purpose at the moment.”

Doets in action 

Getting used to a different role

The balance of power has changed. For years, Van Gerwen was the clear favourite against almost every fellow Dutchman, but that is far from certain against Doets. “If you had told me a year ago that Doets would be the last one to walk on stage, I’d have said it would never happen,” Van der Voort said.

“But that’s the reality now. He’ll have to give Doets everything he’s got. From what we’ve seen of Doets in recent weeks, it will be another very tough challenge.”

Doets has shown in recent months that he can compete at the highest level. His results have become more inconsistent in recent weeks, but his averages remain impressive. He also showed at the World Matchplay and World Grand Prix that he can score heavily.

Van der Voort also points to the difficult personal period Doets has faced following the death of someone close to him. Even so, the Dutchman continues to post strong averages, including in matches he loses. “If you have to name the favourite, you’d have to say Doets is a slight favourite,” Van der Voort said.

Van der Voort stresses that calling Doets a slight favourite does not mean the match is already decided. Van Gerwen has gone out early in tournaments in recent weeks, so he will not arrive at the European Championship full of confidence. Doets appears to be in better form, but Van Gerwen’s experience and ability to raise his game for big matches should not be underestimated.

“We shouldn’t just assume Doets will win this easily. I don’t believe that either,” Van der Voort stressed. “I don’t think anyone needs to motivate Michael to play against Doets.”

A longer match could suit Van Gerwen

If Van Gerwen gets through the first round, he could face Krzysztof Ratajski next. Van der Voort sees opportunities for the former world champion in a longer match, where more legs are required to secure victory.

“I think it would also be good for him to play a match over a longer format,” he explained. “These short matches put you under a lot of pressure. If you win the first round, you can then play a longer match. That would also be good for his development.”

A win over Doets would therefore not only send Van Gerwen into the next round, but also give him the chance to build rhythm and confidence over a longer format. It will be no easy task, though. “There are no more gifts,” Van der Voort warned. “He’ll have to give it everything.”